Comments accepted on regional water planThe Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments will accept comments on the region’s water quality management plan until June 7 at 5 p.m.

The plan, which is required by the Clean Water Act, covers Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Wood counties in Ohio; and Bedford, Erie, and Whiteford townships of Monroe County, Mich.

It includes agreements on how jurisdictions will construct and maintain sewer systems and water treatment facilities and how septic systems and sewer problems will be managed.

TMACOG held a meeting last week to offer the public a chance to review planned changes to the planning document, which is updated when communities embark on development projects or when municipalities join together to build a sewer system.

In 1913, the auditoriums at Scott and Waite high schools were constructed in similar design.

Since then, Scott’s balcony has been destroyed and replaced by a new floor for storage. As a result, Scott is getting a new auditorium as part of its $37 million Ohio Schools Facility Commission renovation, part of Toledo Public School’s “Building for Success” program.

The 11,927 square feet Waite auditorium, which seats 844, is intact with its original balcony, seats, and stage, and is expected to get funds from the OSFC for technological improvements — such as new digital sound and video systems.

Jacob Parr, who works at the family-owned Adams Screen Printing and Embroidery, designed a T-shirt proclaiming Crystal Bowersox as “Our American Idol.” Bowersox, of Elliston, is one of four remaining Idol hopefuls. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)

With Elliston’s own Crystal Bowersox’s passage into the next round, Northwest Ohio’s American Idol fever is growing even hotter.

Whether you’ve been a fan from the start or if you’re a little late to the party, you can show your support for Crystal and help the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation with a T-shirt available at Adams Screen Printing and Embroidery in Millbury.

The shirts were designed by Jacob Parr, who works at the family-owned business, at the request of Crystal’s boyfriend’s family.

“Colleen Kusian, Crystal’s boyfriend’s stepmother, for whom we’d done some work last summer, wanted some shirts made to supporting Crystal and she decided to come here,” Jacob said.

Kusian asked that Parr, a freshman graphic design student at Bowling Green State University, come up with a couple of designs from which she’d choose.

“She had brought in one of Crystal’s early CDs. The cover had her name on it written in a curvy, handwritten script, which I thought had a `70s kind of feel,” Jacob said. “So I brought it into the computer and used it as inspiration for the T-shirt logo.

“Colleen liked it, and I’m told, so did Crystal, so that’s the one we chose,” Jacob said.

Over the past couple of months there have been several burglaries throughout Toledo by two individuals who fraudulently claim to be from the water department or gas company.

The suspects, described as two Hispanic males and/or one Hispanic female; or two white males and/or one white female, are usually dressed in coveralls or uniform type clothing. One even wore a hard hat.

They are very polite and cordial and talk their way into the elderly victims’ homes. Once inside, they split up and keep the victim distracted “looking for leaks.”

Once they leave, the victim finds that money and jewelry are missing. In one case, the victim said they came in a nice red car and pulled all the way into the drive. In an earlier case, the neighbor indentified a blue mini-van as the suspect vehicle. In the most recent case, the suspects were described as two males, one about 40-years-old, with greasy mixed dark and gray hair and one male about 20-years-old. They were driving a full size blue van. They may have followed the victim home from the grocery story.

The Toledo Police Department said the public should keep their doors locked and check to see if vehicles are clearly marked with the City of Toledo or Columbia Gas seal. Water Department employees will have visible identification. If there is any doubt, call 9-1-1 before you allow anyone into your home. If you have information on the suspects, call Crime Stoppers at 419-255-1111. Call 9-1-1 if you believe a crime is in progress.